Understandably, Dallas Mavericks guard Steve Nash garners most of the attention when talking about Canadian All-Stars in the NBA. But Captain Canada may have some company in Los Angeles this year (if he makes it), as fellow Canadian Jamaal Magloire continues to turn heads in the Eastern Conference.

Entering the first week of the New Year, the Toronto native was averaging 11.3 points and 9.1 rebounds per game for the New Orleans Hornets. Compared to other centres in the East, Magloire sits third overall in boards (Ben Wallace: 13.3 RPG; Antonio Davis: 9.3 RPG) and second overall in scoring (Zydrunas Ilgauskas: 14.6 PPG).

Could Canadian Jamaal Magloire (above) be an NBA All-Star this season? Read what THE FAN's Eric Smith has to say! Gregory Shamus NBAE/Getty Images

"I've always wanted to be an All-Star, from the day I started playing basketball," said Magloire. "That hasn't changed. I know I have a shot to play on the All-Star team this year and I want to play. I'm doing all I can – and the team is doing all they can – to grab as many wins (as possible)."

But there is one thing standing in the way of Magloire's All-Star aspirations: votes. When the NBA released its latest set of All-Star balloting results on December 24, the fourth-year pro wasn't even listed among the top five centres in his conference. With Wallace leading the way, Magloire also finds himself behind the likes of Alonzo Mourning, Ilgauskas, Eddy Curry and Davis.

Consideration should be given to the fact that Curry and Davis (Chicago) and Ilgauskas (Cleveland) are playing for struggling teams. And, unfortunately, Mourning is no longer playing in the NBA.

Magloire's Hornets entered the first week of 2004 with a 21-13 record – just a few games behind the Indiana Pacers for top spot in the East. Magloire is putting up All-Star calibre numbers on a winning team.

For All-Star Game voters – whose votes determine the game's starters – sometimes winning doesn't matter. And Magloire would probably be the first to admit that he's not exactly a household name yet.

"I'm not making any excuses. If we win games and I play decent – play the way I know I can play – then everything will take care of itself. If we continue to win games, people will start to see us, and hopefully things will change."

If the fans don't pave the way for Magloire's entrance to the big game in L.A, perhaps the Eastern Conference head coaches – who will vote to determine the remaining All-Stars in the East – will. Hornets coach Tim Floyd thinks that may be the best route Magloire can hope for.

"When you look at what he's done, he's made great improvement since the first two weeks of the season," Floyd told the Times-Picayune. "He's definitely All-Star calibre . . . If the fans don't vote him in, I'd hope that the coaches would value what both he and P.J. (Brown) would bring to a team. I never check the voting; where they stand doesn't mean they won't make it. The coaches know."

Floyd mentions an interesting name, another player that doesn't receive a whole lot of attention but who also is listed on the All-Star ballot: P.J. Brown. Along with Magloire, Brown (11.6 PPG, 9.5 RPG) forms one half of the most dominant front court in the Eastern Conference.

"Words can't explain what P.J. means to this team," said Magloire. "It's not the rebounding and the blocked shots that I'm talking about, it's the intangible things like leadership."

Teammate Darrell Armstrong sings the praises of Brown as well.

"We know he's one of the guys that goes out there every night and puts his heart on the floor," said Armstrong. "(P.J.) usually puts up double-doubles every night, knocking down big shots and getting big rebounds. He's a defensive stopper too.

"P.J. helps Jamaal a lot in the starting lineup because P.J. takes a lot of pressure off of him. They've been playing well together."

It's fair to say that if Magloire is in L.A in February – and Brown is not – a piece of Brown will be with him. Brown has been with Magloire every step of the way.

From a rookie scratching and clawing for playing time, to a bona fide NBA starter, Magloire – who they call the Big Cat – is ready to pounce even harder.

"As the years go (by), I've learned a lot. I always ask questions. And I've matured quite a bit.

"I definitely think I've got a chance (of making the All-Star Game). I think I've got as good a chance as anybody else in the East."

Veteran radio personality Eric Smith hosts a variety of hoops programming on THE FAN 590, the radio home of the Toronto Raptors, including live Raptors pregame, halftime and postgame shows, as well as magazine show NBA Hoops.